Revised Open Space Strategic Management Plan endorsed by Council

At its meeting on 15 July 2025 Council endorsed a revised Open Space Strategic Management Plan (OSSMP) that reflects community and local Member of Parliament feedback, ensuring a smarter, more sustainable investment in parks, reserves and play spaces across the city.

In response to feedback, Council reduced its proposed 1 kilometre playground service level to 750 metres and increased our investment into improving the quality of our playspaces. This ensures that most households will have a quality, neighbourhood playground (or above) play space within easy reach.

We also heard strong support for greener, more climate-resilient spaces. As a result, the OSSMP commits to increasing urban greening, biodiversity, and climate change resilience in open spaces, including reimagining of sites where small play spaces are not renewed.

The OSSMP also recognises that nearly all of our parks and a large section of our coast line are dog friendly and that the community use fenced reserves, sports grounds, and coastal areas to exercise their dogs off lead and By-law 7 – Dogs was recently amended to reflect this. Accordingly, it maintains the current service level of four authorised, dedicated, fenced, off-leash dog parks at Minkarra Park Flagstaff Hill, Hurtle John Potter Reserve Woodcroft, Dinton Farm Huntfield Heights and Symonds Reserve Aldinga Beach.

In response to community feedback, the OSSMP also includes:

• aligning footpath and open space projects to improve access
• retaining irrigation to support greener reimagined sites
• clear commitment to ongoing community engagement as renewals and projects progress.

For more information view the FAQ. The full Council report (item 9.1) including outcomes of the engagement on the draft OSSMP as well as the minutes of the meeting and a video recording of the meeting can be found on council's website.

The final version of the Council-approved OSSMP 2025-30 is now being graphically designed and will then be available on council's website. Whilst design is being undertaken you can download the basic version of the document here.